Rugby native Alcuin Scheet sits beside the “Three Servicemen” statue at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Scheet recently went on the Western North Dakota Honor Flight where he and 120 other veterans received an in-depth tour of Washington.

The mission statement of the Western North Dakota Honor Flight is, “To transport America’s Veterans to Washington, D.C., to visit those memorials dedicated to honor the service and sacrifices of themselves and their friends.” Alcuin Scheet, who grew up in Rugby, departed from Bismarck on April 26 to the nation’s capital for a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

When Scheet graduated from Rugby High School in 1955, he started working at the local Piggly Wiggly, a grocery store that is now closed, but it didn’t take long for him to decide he wanted more.

“After a while I got to thinking that wasn’t going to be my future,” he said. “So I walked down to the post office and I told somebody that the first recruiter that came to town, to send them up to the store. It was the navy recruiter and I signed up right then.”

Scheet was off to Naval Station Great Lakes bootcamp in Illinois along Lake Michigan in June 1956. Upon graduation, he signed up to be an aviation electronics technician, but because the prep school was full at the time, he was sent to Quonset Point, Rhode Island, where he worked in the communications department.

In January 1957, he was then sent to Norman, Oklahoma, for prep school, followed by Aviation Technician School in Memphis, Tennessee. He was first stationed in a transport squadron in Alameda, California, where he repaired flight radios, but was relocated to Fallon, Nevada, upon the former’s decommission.

Alcuin Scheet, left, accompanied by his granddaughter Jennifer Henderson, right, pose in front of the World War II Memorial during the two-day Washington, D.C., tour hosted by the Western North Dakota Honor Flight program. The Washington Monument stands in the background.

He returned home after his discharge in June of 1960 and spent several months working for Sitters TV before he started his career at the former Northwestern Bell Telephone Company on the construction crew.

Scheet spent his first year with Northwestern Bell in Rugby before the job moved him from town-to-town, including Fargo, Oakes, Kindred and Mott. He eventually settled down and retired with his wife of 36 years, Valerie Scheet, in Bismarck.

Scheet had four sons, Mitch, Mike, Greg and Jim with his first wife, and gained two step-children, Robin and Paul Remmick after his second marriage.

“I got two bonus kids out of this whole deal,” he said.

Scheet said his retirement is pretty good, and that he and Valerie enjoy being snowbirds who travel to Arizona every winter.

Alcuin Scheet pictured in 1957 during his time at prep school in Norman, Oklahoma.

He was nominated for the honor flight by his granddaughter, Jennifer Henderson, who was able to accompany him for the trip.

“I was pretty excited, and the fact that Jennifer was going with me as my guardian was kind of a bonus,” he said.

Alongside about 120 other veterans, Scheet spent two packed-full days touring Washington, D.C., and went to locations like the Vietnam and Korean War Veterans Memorials, the National Museum of the Marine Corps, the World War II Memorial, the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum and the Arlington National Cemetery where they witnessed the Changing of the Guard ceremony. They also received a special police escort on their way to visit the United States Capitol building.

The trip was wrapped up with a banquet on the final night, where the veterans received a final mail call and were surprised with letters from loved ones collected by the organization prior to flying out. Scheet said he received over 20 letters from people including his wife, children and nephews.

“It was kind of touching, let’s put it that way,” he said.

When the veterans’ flight landed in Bismarck, they were greeted with one last surprise.

“Both floors were packed at the airport with people welcoming us home,” Scheet said. “They announced your name and branch of service. Everyone was capping and hollering and waving flags. It was great, it really was something else.”

Scheet said they were also greeted by Governor Kelly Armstrong, Attorney General Drew H. Wrigley, American Legion representatives and members of the North Dakota National Guard.

“I would encourage any veteran if it’s possible to go on it, go on it,” he said, “It’s a trip of a lifetime.”